Closed-loop manufacturing (CLM) is emerging as a viable approach to address tighter delivery timelines and supply chain challenges.
More shops than ever are embracing waterjet cutting systems. And for the most part, the reason is that a number of customer-driven improvements/innovations to waterjet technology make it even more user friendly, productive and appealing to an ever-broadening array of manufacturers.
There have been many process improvement trends in manufacturing over the decades, and none have had more significant ROI than machine monitoring. The increase in machine monitoring is owed in large part to the rise in popularity of the open and royalty-free interconnectivity standard MTConnect.
Cobots are an ideal, entry-level robotic device for smaller shops to begin using automation.
Having a plan for maintaining and improving the performance and reliability of every machine on a shop floor is vital to manufacturing operations. Reliable machines make short-notice production runs possible. And the more flexible manufacturers are, the more new customers they’ll attract.
Robots simply are not used as widely as they could be, due to persistent barriers.
EV manufacturers must overcome a unique set of challenges to meet future customer expectations. Among them is the challenge to create innovative designs that meet safety requirements, performance criteria and keep costs down in the face of growing competition and a widening skills gap.
A professor, who visited IMTS in September, discusses trends in machine tools.
From automotive production lines to shipbuilding, robotic arms, and the software that runs them, welding automation has played an important role in producing increasingly complex parts in shorter periods of time.
When I graduated with an engineering degree some decades ago, I learned that the organizations I was going to work for had internal communication problems. This was especially true for those that designed and manufactured complex machinery such as engines, aircraft, or automobiles.
